Nigeria has 25 licensed commercial banks. Some of them operate only regionally, some nationally, while some other ones have international banking license from the Central Bank of Nigeria. In this write-up, you will learn about the top banks in Nigeria based on customer base and satisfaction.

Zenith Bank

Zenith Bank stands head taller than the other Nigerian banks in terms of top class customer services. The bank leads the pack in virtually every aspect. With total assets of ₦3.189 trillion (US$19.6 billion) as of March 31, 2014, Zenith Bank is the richest bank in Nigeria.

Established in 1990, this bank has customer deposits of ₦2.288 trillion. Headquartered in Victoria Island, Lagos, this bank employs more than 3,900 people. It became a public limited company in July 2004.

First Bank of Nigeria

Founded in 1894, FBN’s total assets are valued at ₦3.172 trillion (US$19.5 billion) as of March 31, 2014. . The bank’s logo has been a national symbol for many years. First Bank was rated a Superbrand in 2007, from a pool of 2,000 highly graded brands in Nigeria, by the Superbrand Nigeria Council. The bank has proved itself to be truly Big Strong and Reliable.

Its customer service is among the best in the Nigerian banking industry. The bank is poised to serve the customer through relevant and innovative banking services. First Bank is also an international bank with its headquarters in Nigeria.

GTBank

Guaranty Trust Bank (GTBank) is one of the biggest banks in Nigeria. They have branches in almost all the local governments in Nigeria today. They have proved themselves to a reliable over the years through provision of customer-targeted services like none other.

The bank has assets worth ₦2.102 trillion as of 2013. It has shareholder funds of more than ₦200 billion. The bank employs more than 3,500 people and operates through a network of around 200 offices in Nigeria. Guaranty Trust Bank’s bank and non-bank subsidiaries are spread across Anglophone West Africa and the UK. There are also plans underway to extend their services to several other countries in Africa and other continents.

Access Bank

To say the fact, Access bank is one of the best banks in Nigeria with top class customer service. The banking hall is always welcoming and the banking processes are always. Their staff members too always welcome customers with smiles and they are always ready to provide the required banking services with eagerness. Headquartered in Lagos, Access Bank has assets of around ₦1.9 trillion as of March 31, 2014. The bank has more than 300 branches nationwide. Access Bank was founded in 1989. Over the years, it has transformed from an obscure Nigerian bank into a world class African financial institution.

They are headquartered in Lagos and they have assets of around ₦1.9 trillion as of March 31, 2014. The bank has more than 300 branches nationwide. Access Bank was founded in 1989. Over the years, it has transformed from an obscure Nigerian bank into a world class African financial institution.

Diamond Bank

Diamond bank is a big time player in the Nigerian banking industry. It also has one of the best customer services around. Also, diamond bank has international recognition. This full-service Nigerian bank is one of the 25 licensed commercial banks in Nigeria. It is a universal bank, with assets of around ₦1.519 trillion ($9.4 billion) as of December 31, 2013. Diamond Bank offers a full range of financial products and services to retail and corporate customers. Diamond Bank is relatively new and it is one of the youngest banks in Nigeria. Despite that, the bank had been able to make a big name for itself via unique and ingenious banking services.

Ecobank

The bank is among the very first sets of new generation banks to be established in Nigeria. Established in 1986, Ecobank is a commercial bank. It is a subsidiary of Ecobank Transnational Inc., a leading pan-African banking group with more than 1,150 branches all over Africa.

As of December 2011, Ecobank Nigeria controlled total assets valued over N1.32 trillion (US$8.1 billion), making it one of the five largest banks in Nigeria. It may be newer than many other banks, but it had successfully overtaken so many of them and has become a household name in the Nigerian banking industry. It is one of the 25 banks certified by the Central Bank of Nigeria.

Union Bank of Nigeria

Union Bank of Nigeria was established in 1917. It has assets of around ₦1.049 trillion (US$6.784 billion) as of 2014 and is one of the leading financial institutions in sub-Saharan Africa. It has more than 405 branches nationwide. This shows that the bank is one of the oldest in the Nigerian banking industry.

Despite being among the oldest, it is also one of the best. It is by sheer hard work and focus on banking professionalism that had seen the bank up to this state and enabled them to stand firm all through the turbulence of times past.

They have some of the best customer services in the Nigerian banking industry and they are also poised to always meet up with customers’ expectations.

Fidelity Bank

Established in 1988, the Fidelity Bank of Nigeria has assets of around ₦1.043 trillion (US$6.4 billion) as of March 31, 2014 and customer deposits of over ₦752.2 billion. Aside from being one of the richest banks in Nigeria today, Fidelity Bank is also among the best in terms of customer service.

The bank had been around for quite a while and it had been able to thrive despite the financial woes that had hit the Nigerian banking industry in the past. Fidelity Bank has several programs that are based on nothing short of full customer satisfaction.

Sterling Bank

Sterling Bank Plc is a full service national commercial bank. It has assets of around ₦707 billion (US$4.61 billion) of December 2012 and offers a wide range of banking services to individuals, businesses, government agencies and non-profit organizations. It is among the best in Nigeria indeed. Though the bank is relatively new compared with the older New generation banks, it is still able to compete head to head with many of the older ones in terms of popularity due to top class customer service.

FCMB

The First City Monument Bank (FCMB) is the flagship of the First City Group, one of the leading financial institutions in Nigeria. It is a universal bank with assets of around ₦614.2 billion (US$3.7 billion) as of May 25, 2014. The bank is customer-oriented and they treat their customers as partners in progress, making them one of the best in customer service.